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We’re nearly one week in, and the phenomenon isn’t showing any signs of letting up. So let’s take a moment to check in with what’s been going on in the world of Pokémon Go...

While servers here in the US finally seem to be up and running, trainers in the country that created Pokémon are still anxiously awaiting the launch of the game.

Say what you will about people finding yet another reason to bury their heads in their smart phones, based on social media posts, Pokémon Go is having a positive effect on player’s mental health.

Still worried about granting those Pokémon professors (and whoever else works at the Pokémon Company) full access you all your emails? Worry no more! The latest version of the app has significantly decreased the game’s grip on those Google account permissions.

Haters gonna hate, but for kids, the augmented reality aspect of Pokémon Go is sheer magic.

Cynical adults play Pokémon Go too, and while most players are finding delight in getting some actual exercise while engaging with their surroundings through the game, one player discovered a hack that will let a turntable or ceiling fan to do the egg hatching work for you. Meanwhile, another man has put his drone to use to effectively cover more ground in his area.

As expected, the game is also having a positive impact on Nintendo’s market value, which has soared by $9 billion dollars in the wake of the company’s first mobile gaming hit. As Nintendo prepares to unveil its next piece of hardware, the Pokémon Go phenomenon has made it evident that it’s characters and franchises that make up the company’s backbone.

Small businesses are also reaping rewards from the game; the app is showing a rare ability to drive real-world traffic, and some restaurants and coffee shops lucky enough to have been classified by the game as “Pokéstops” have been using in-game lures to bring in real-world clientele.

One trainer’s attempt to have a Clefairy named “Loveislove” take over a gym that sprung up at a Westboro Baptist Church has been met with a response from the church. The WBC have called the digital creature a “sodomite,” and deemed the arrival of Pokémon Go to be a “sign of the end of times.”


Last week, TriMet had to urge players to refrain from catching Pokémon in the doorways of its Max trains and busses. This week’s latest request, from the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., shows that while the game might be good for mental health, it’s definitely leading to a sharp decline in some player’s abilities to use common sense.

Elsewhere in the capital, players are competing for control over a Pokémon gym that sprung up at the White House. No word yet on Obama’s role in it all, but I’m willing to bet he’s Charmander-in-chief kind of guy.

In local Pokémon news, a bar crawl has been set for Saturday, July 30th, so save those lures and prepare some cosplay for a night out on the town!

In Forest Grove, a stab wound couldn’t keep a man from staying out on his Pokémon hunt.

And finally, if this MLS Pokémon Go action from over the weekend is any indication, tomorrow’s Timbers game against the Montreal Impact could be teeming with critters. Let’s hope the Timbers can get the job done, and hey, at least it’s not moths!